Valuable physical papers such as concert tickets, train tickets, air tickets and so on are very convenient transaction media, which are physically exchanged for transactions. However, these valuable papers are easily copied and forged, and therefore a new alternative electronic transaction media is desired.
FIG. 1 generally shows a distribution platform in which contactless IC cards are used for distributing electronic values. Electronic values are stored in memories in IC cards, and when a user receives an electronic value from a server or exchanges it with another user, IC cards perform authentication directly with each other and directly exchange an electronic value without going via a server or a terminal memory.
A generating server 11 generates electronic values by request and stores them in an IC card 10 provided in the generating server 11. The generated and stored electronic values are transmitted to an issuing server 13 by request. The issuing server 13 has an IC card 12 connected thereto, which has dual contact and contactless interfaces for storing electronic values. The electronic values transmitted from the generating server 11 are forwarded to the IC card 12 connected to the issuing server 13, and stored in an EEPROM in the IC card 12.
A user uses a mobile phone 43 to send information of a ticket he wants to buy, to a sales server 15, where settlement processing is done. The requested issuing server 13 issues an electronic value to the user's mobile phone 43. When issuing the electronic value, the IC card 12 performs direst authentication with an IC card 42 in the mobile phone 43, and the issues the electronic value.
Alternatively, the user can bring an IC card 52 to the sales server 13, and pay a charge to have an electronic value issued and transferred to the IC card 52. That is, the IC card 12 in the sales server 13 can contactless-communicate directly with the IC card 52 and transfer electronic values.
How to transfer an electronic value is as follows. The IC card 12 in the issuing server 13, and the IC card 42 in the user's mobile phone 43 or the IC card 52 establish radio communication, perform authentication directly with each other, and after authentication the IC card 12 sends the electronic value directly to the IC card 42, 52. After the electronic value is transferred to the IC card 42, 52, the user can use the electronic value in situ. For example, the user can pass through an entrance to a train station, or go into a concert theater, etc. Once the user uses the electronic value, it is gone (deleted).
According to a platform like this, it is possible to avoid problems such as copying, losing and altering electronic values, or inconsistency (the existence of two same electronic values at transmitter and receiver.). That is, by employing a platform like the above, electronic values can be distributed safely and surely, to realize transaction of electronic values on a digital network.
FIG. 2 shows an example of the contactless IC card 12, 42, 52 that performs electronic value operations. The IC card 22 shown in FIG. 2 is a network-compatible card having an encrypting function. An IC chip 20 built into the IC card 22 includes a microprocessor 28 having a CPU 21, a ROM 27, a RAM 23 and an EEPROM 25. Received electronic value data are stored in the EEPROM 25. The IC chip further includes an RF interface circuit 24. The IC chip 20 establishes ISO 14443 contactless communication with external devices via a built-in antenna 26 which is normally a coil antenna. After the establishment of the contactless communication, received data are sent from the RF interface circuit 24 to the microprocessor 28. The microprocessor 28 processes and stores the received data. When transmitting, after the establishment of the contactless communication, an electronic value is transmitted from the microprocessor 28 via the antenna 26 to the outside. In this manner, it is realized to send and receive electronic values. It is normal to provide power to the IC chip 20 from the outside via the antenna 26.
These kinds of contactless IC cards have individual IDs. When transacting information among IC cards, first they establish contactless-communication directly with each other if they are in proximity with each other, and they establish communication utilizing another communication medium if they are away from each other. Next, they perform authentication with each other using their IDs. After authentication, they send and receive data directly with each other. When transacting electronic values between two IC cards in this manner, servers and mobile phones are merely communication media. IC cards authenticate directly with each other, and transact electronic values between memories in the IC cards. The mobile terminal device into which the IC card is inserted merely provides the communicating medium or displays or selects processing, but does not perform actual encryption, authentication or transaction of values.
By the way, the issuing server 13 functions equivalent to real world sales organizations, and sometimes has to sell a large amount of electronic values. In this case, an IC card 12 by itself does not have enough memory capacity or a high enough CPU speed to store and send a large amount of electronic values at the same time. When some user stores a large amount of electronic values and transmits them to other users, the IC card itself has similar capacity problems.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications 2000-113148 and 2000-172814 disclose prior contact/contactless combination IC cards.